i'm lester holt reporting from new york, good night, everyone. i'm lester holt reporting from -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com right now at 4:30 a fire burned several townhouses in san jose leaving nearly two dozen people without a home tonight. we also have new information about the dog that was stabbed after a bizarre attack at a popular bay area park. and a trial starts this week involving a former reverend who performed same-sex weddings. we have a change coming up in weather and it has air quality officials issuing a warning for the first time this year. the news starts right now.

good evening. thanks for joining us for the special edition of the news. we're on a half hour early, of course, because of the 49er preseason game starting at 5:00. we begin tonight in the south bay where about 20 people are out of their homes after an apartment fire. the fire started shortly after 10:00 this morning in the evergreen neighborhood. two townhouses were destroyed and another damaged. here's the latest for us. >> reporter: hey, diane. two of the homes were gutted by the fire that started about 10:15 this morning. there are five townhomes that were attached in the line. the other three have water and smoke damage. we spoke to one of the residents. she's very upset. got a call while she was at work. the fire started and quickly lapped up the outside of one of the townhouses, spread to the attic area which is common between the five townhomes. fire crews were training, luckily nearby at cunningham park with santa clara and millpedes fire departments.

they were on scene within seven minutes. we spoke with the fire captains and she tells us because they were all at a training session and eight engines and three trucks showed up, 75 firefighters were able to attack the fire at once. therefore, they put it out relatively quickly by 11:15 or so. there were 20 people who live amongst the five homes. we spoke with a woman who lives on her own and has family and a couple of cats. she was told that her house was saved. she was the middle home because they were able to get there so quickly. she has two cats and luckily, both cats were saved, as well as all 20 people. there were no injuries. 16 of the 20 people were not even home. they were at work or away for the weekend. there are no injuries. as of right now the fire investigators are saying this was an accidental fire. there were people saying they heard a hissing noise which led some to believe that possibly it was a propane tank from a barbecue yesterday, but the fire

department is saying that is not a factor. it was accidental. so those are the details we have now and everyone is safe. reporting live in san jose, nbc bay area news. >> thank you. the dog stabbed by a man last week is back home this afternoon. the man reportedly attacked the dog named lenny on thursday. his owner said the stabbing happened after she asked the man to get his dog under control because it looked to her like the dogs were about to fight. her dog suffered the loss of his spleen and a lung but he is expected to survive. two people have come forward to identify the attacker as a 33-year-old man who frequents the area with his dog. police say they have yet to make an arrest in this case. a mother is facing dui charges after crashing her car with her son inside. police say jennifer madrid was driving east of highway 101 last night when she crashed into a parked car and rolled her car.

her 8-year-old son was in the car at the time. neither were hurt. police arrested madrid after testing allegedly found a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit. in napa, a church trial for a reverend who performed several same-sex weddings is scheduled to start this week. the reverend is being put on charge by the church for marrying 16 same-sex couples. the church says despite the fact that the marriages were legal his actions violated church law. >> she's charged with being in violation of the stipulation regarding marriage which is stated as, for christians, a covenant between a man and a woman. >> it's very painful that my

church, the denomination i was born in says no to people and to leadership and marriage. it's beyond painful. >> opening statements are scheduled for tuesday. two years ago she was acquitted of similar charges when the church ruled she did not violate the church laws because the marriages weren't valid. be sure to watch nbc bay area news on tuesday at 11:00 for a special report on the trial of the reverend. a hearing on the chauncey bail trial is scheduled for tuesday. the bakery leader is charged with murder for allegedly ordering bailey's killing as well as two other men in 2007. an associate was charged. attorneys for both men say the media koovrj has jeopardized their right to a fair trial.

prosecutors deny the claim and point to the third anniversary of bailey's death this month which they say did not receive media coverage. now to the weather. a spare the air warning has been issued for tomorrow. last year the first was issued on may 16th. meteorologist craig guerra is here with a look. bad air quality, huh? >> ands we get back to school, something to be concerned about mondaynd into tuesday. in santa claray. valley it wille one of the first of the summer. it's been mild. we had 14 last summer. this is the small particulate matter that hovers around the ground, irritates people's upper respiratory systems as well. that's one of the reasons. so if you're in the santa clara valley, watch for that, especially older or elderly

people and younger kids who have diseases likera asthma. limit outdoor activities tomorrow. this is the first one. we had 14 last summer all in conjunction with the heat. i'll have the seven-day forecast in a bit. >> thanks, greg. and a bay area woman had to stop her attempt at a swim only one person has completed. just ahead what forced her to end the attempt. california's republican party makes its decision about whether to endorse arizona's controversial immigration law. today, it's move-in day for thousands of incoming freshman at u.c. berkeley. coming up, what separates the students from years past. >> i'm live at candlestick park where football is in the air, not just for the 9ers but for a certain someone. brett favre is in t we 'll get wel get y you set for kicouk-of in sports. k-

today was move-in day for a few thousand incoming fresh man at u.c. berkeley. this year more students are depending on financial aid to pay. now more about the class of 2014. hello, monte. >> reporter: good afternoon. about 2,000 freshman moved into dorms today. many obviously excited about starting a new chapter of their lives. they earned their spots here given how many people apply for admission. this year u.c. berkeley received 50,000 applications for undergrad admission and accepted only 4,300 new freshman and 1,500 transfer students. officials say enrollment is about the same as last year. therefore things which characterize this incoming class of freshman. more from out of state. the number of low income and

minority students is up from last year. and the number of students taking out federal pell grants to pay for tuition and living costs has gone up this year. >> you know, i came here. i love it here. that's important. we'll find a way to pay for it. it's important that you love where you're going and that you really find it to be a good experience. >> while the number of out-of-state students is up, the number of incoming students from california is down slightly. that's financially good for the university since out of state students pay more. you may recall the u.c. region raised tuitions by 32%. that set off student protests across the system. with tuition and fees averaging $12,500 for the year, u.c. officials are quick to point out it's still less expensive than most private universities and most out of state public schools. monte francis, nbc bay area news. >> the camera went crazy. thanks, monte. california's republican

party decided not to endorse california's new immigration law opting to kill the resolution without discussion today. the resolution was put forward by a more conservative faction of the party and would have affirmed support for arizona's law and prop 187, an initiative to cut public benefits to undocumented immigrants. the author is accused meg whitman of softening her stance on key issues including illegal immigration which caused tension between delegates and whitman's supporters. she's been trying to court hispanic governors in her bid for governor. jellyfish stopped a woman's attempt to swim 23 miles across the monterrey bay yesterday. four hours into the swim which is about the midway point she was repeatedly stung by jellyfish. if she had repeated the swim she would have been only the second person to do so. she swam without a wetsuit and was trying to raise $50,000 to build a school in afghanistan.

another swimmer plans to try on tuesday. don't you think she should still -- people will still give her the money. >> absolutely. >> there are jellyfish in the bay. she was doing a good thing. i can't imagine somebody saying, i'm not giving you the money. >> we'll follow up. >> that's our opinion. so it warmed up today just like you said. >> and tomorrow, are you ready? >> i'm so ready. >> i'm wearing the short sleeves, ready for summer. >> we have 90s in the forecast. this is live looking out toward candlestick, getting ready for the big game right after this newscast. watch the game right here. yeah, the wind is blowing a bit. but the wind direction is coming from the north and northwest as we go through tomorrow it becomes north and northeast. a hot, dry wind. nothing through the golden gate. if we had the west wind we'd have fog. look at the people enjoying the sunshine. temperatures in the 60s and 70s.

this is live oakland. it's a gorgeous afternoon, gorgeous evening as we get ready to start the week ahead. we have had a lot of cloud cover in the morning hours. not the case for tomorrow or tuesday as the heat will build. now, finally this is looking out across the santa clara valley. san jose to the santa cruz mountains. not much in the way of fog either. 68 in san francisco. 80 in san jose. 86 in concord. look at the red colors starting to pop up on the map again. we haven't seen them in so long. 86 in livermore. you recall yesterday struggled to reach 70 degrees. the cold air moved out. we are done with it. all of the hot air starting to build in gets here this afternoon, builds in tomorrow, stays with us through wednesday. in fact, this ridge is not going anywhere. that dry wind starts to come in tomorrow. inland, 90s. close to 100 in the warmer

spots. we talked about the spirit of the air for tomorrow. it's the first one of the summer. you remember we had 14 last year. so if you have upper respiratory problems or your kids are at school, be prepared for that. 96 in livermore. concord, walnut creek in the mid 90s tomorrow. napa and sonoma, same for you. at the beaches you have 70s. we'll see the sunrise at 6:32 tomorrow. the sunset at 7:52. still warm. here's the seven-day forecast. 90s for monday, tuesday, wednesday. >> yay! >> isn't it great? enjoy it. next weekend we drop. enjoy the 90s. >> you know, it's a perfect day. and the game has become a much bigger deal. >> there's a game tonight? >> 101 is pumping. the 49ers and vikings as we look high above. a little windy. the stands will fill up quick. the game starts in 15 minutes.

we'll check in live on the field with both sidelines. vikings and 49ers next. giants . stick with us. nt

good evening. we are all set for sunday night football. this was supposed to be a normal preseason game. 49ers and vikings, but it turned into a national event here. brett favre is at candle stick park just four days after rejoining the vikings. let's take you to the stick. everyone with tattoos or without has come to see the 49ers. the game doesn't count. it's a nice preview of what to expect. >> that's good. >> especially at the 4:00, 5:00. that's what we need now. on the field, the vikings are coming on for a stretch. he's expected to play sparingly. hello to mike singletary. it's a chance to see younger players get action here. we were counting down to kick-off at 5:00 at nbc bay

area. >> we expect to be here for the playoffs and be in dallas for the super bowl. there is no doubt about it. >> i'm excited about the season. great to be a niner fan this year. >> super bowl or bust for the parking lot. as for the players, like usual the two quarterbacks will be the topic of conversation. alex smith and brett favre. laura joins us live from candlestick. i'm guessing we'll hear boos from the candlestick faithful. >> it definitely is all about the quarterbacks tonight. most of the fans now starting to file in. kick-off a few minutes away here. despite the fact that the circus is in town fans can take heart. it's a sea of red and gold inside candlestick park. you will see purple scattered here and there, specifically purple number 4 jerseys. brett favre is here in case you

haven't heard he signed earlier this week. on a national level we know most people watching the game, this is all they care about. brett favre on the field for his 20th season. but the niners don't care that it's favre or the vikings. they have not game planned for him. this is all about themselves going forward. it's a preseason game despite the hoopla. alex smith may have more pressure considering he's going up against him, but he's not thinking that way. fans may, but that's not now the niners are perceiving this. coming up, we go inside to give you keys to the game for the 49ers and the vikings. for now, live outside candlestick park, laura benke. >> we'll see you in a few minutes. let's check in with the giants. their playoff hopes fading and fast. it's not over, but it's not good as of now. it's not been a pleasant road

trip. the retired giants pitcher lives in the area. they could have used woody. zito struggled. alan craig a two-run homer into the left field seats. st. louis had a 5-0 lead. he allowed five rubs. hasn't won a road game since may 5. garcia may be rookie of the year. a complete game three-hitter. final score, 9-0. the giants fall six games out of first and two out of the wildcard. at the colosseum, remember on mother's day dallas braden, the perfect game against the tampa rays, well, tampa was in town again, but not perfect for braden. evan longoria down the line. the rays had a lead. bottom of the ninth, there was a rally. the rays end up winning the game

and the series 3-2 is the final. a quick note from the indy racing league in sonoma. will power is the champion. when we return, we go back to candlestick. last-minute line-up changes. we'll check in with both teams -- niners and vikings. we count down towards kick off right here. [ male announcer ] when meg whitman arrived at ebay,

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welcome back. we are counting down to kick-off on nbc bay area. 49er and vikings. craig, where is the camera? >> san bruno mountain. >> looks windy. >> i would ask the weather but lara's hair was blowing in the wind. i can determine that. preseason games are always dicey. the preseason, you just want to know how much the players will play. please don't get injured. this goes for every team in the nfl. what will we see tonight? we check in on both sidelines starting with the 49ers. mere's laura again from

candlestick. >> thanks. it's the niners in prime time in front of a national television audience, but the team is not looking at this as a coming out party. singletary says it will come september 12th in seattle. tonight is just about themselves. not who they are playing or who's watching. what should we pay attention to tonight? a lot of flashy oi starters are sitting this out. vernon davis, michael crabtree. frank gord came out, not expected to play much if at all. westbrook, also a game time decision. alex smith needs to find a way to make something happen despite the fact many starters won't be out there. he had a seven quarterback rating. has to raise that up for the few snaps in this one. also get excited. davis and dixon. both third-stringers, but the q.b. and running back expected to get time early on in the game to see what they can do against

better competition, not just the scrubs, to see where they shake out on the roster. in terms of defense, patrick willis expected to play and bowman expected to day buy in the nfl in the linebacking corps. that's it from the 49ers sideline. now to the vikings locker room. lauren scott has more on minnesota. >> the big news in the nfl coming out of minnesota. the return of brett favre for his 20th season. he's literally the grandfather of all nfl quarterbacks. his daughter had a baby this off season. favre is expected to start tonight playing a couple of series and may hand off to toby gerheart. trying to solidify his spot as the number two running back behind adrian peterson for the vikings. another story about favre's return in the middle of the week. jared alan played in high school, went to mississippi to bring favre back to minnesota.

eventually here tonight. that's the scene outside of the vikings locker room. nbc bay area sports. back to you. >> thank you to lawrence and laura. toby grew up idolizing brett favre and now they are teammates with the vikings. here's how it will shake down. regardless of what happens tonight -- the good, the bad and the ugly. we'll see you on sports sunday primetime immediately following the game. we'll take you inside both locker rooms for post game coverage. there's brett favre. it's our sunday night football crew ready to take over. al michaels and the whole crew. football right here on nbc bay area. should be a lot of fun to see what alex smith can do and if the fans boo him. there is little room for error for smith right now. >> a little bit of pressure. thank you. the san francisco game is next. see you tonight at 11:00 for more local news including tips for the next trip to the dmv. do you know which day of the week has the shortest lines?

and check wait times from home before you go. that's tonight at 11:00. until then, enjoy the game. go niners. people! look at you!

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